Breast Cancer
The Aiello Breast Center is a comprehensive breast center focusing on the health care of women and men with breast cancer, where we treat all aspects of breast health.
What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the cells of the breast, typically starting in the ducts or lobules. It can spread to other parts of the body if not detected early.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the U.S. after skin cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths after lung cancer. About 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. While the risk increases with age, it can develop at any age.
How is Breast Cancer Detected?
There are several ways to detect breast cancer:
- Self breast examination
- Clinical breast examination
- Mammography
- Mammograms are X-ray screenings used to detect breast cancer in women who do not have symptoms. They involve taking pictures of each breast from different angles. If there are breast symptoms or abnormalities found during a screening, additional views, called diagnostic mammograms, may be taken.
- Breast MRI
- A breast MRI may be used to assess the extent of breast cancer, as a screening tool for women at a high risk of cancer, to check for silicone breast implant leaks and to examine breasts when there are symptoms possibly related to breast cancer.
- A breast MRI may be used to assess the extent of breast cancer, as a screening tool for women at a high risk of cancer, to check for silicone breast implant leaks and to examine breasts when there are symptoms possibly related to breast cancer.
We recommend self breast exams for all women, even women who are unsure of what they doing. Our motivation is to get women to become comfortable with their own breast, so they can detect a change, but not necessarily diagnose their own lumps. Men can also perform self breast exams and speak to their doctors about any changes they notice, as well as family history that may involve breast lumps.
Clinical breast exams are done by a health care practitioner. Women in their 20s should have breast exams every three years. Once a woman is in her 30s, clinical breast exams should be done annually. Annual mammography is recommended at the age of 40, although women and men with medical and family histories of cancer may have mammograms earlier.
Location
Aiello Center at UM BWMC
203 Hospital Drive, #100
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
Contact Us
For more information about The Aiello Breast Center, please call 410-553-8351.